Railroad-crossing



(No Model.) I v f J. W. ST ORRS.

RAILROAD GRossVING.

Patented Apr. 26, 1887.

Ano/Mfrs `longituidinally.' Bolts or i "vis n JSEPH il?. STGtlEtS, 0F NEV LNDN, CONNECTICUT.

naitenne-ennesimo.

' lllfriit part ol" Letters Patent No. 361,907, dated April 26, 1887.

Application ied January 13, 1887. Serial No. '2Q-1,236. (Nonxodel.)

To all when?, may concern.-

it known nat i, Josera W. S'ronns, a oitiaen of the United States, residing at New' London, in the eonnty oi London and @tato of Conneetient, have invented new and nsefnl 'improvements in Railroad-Crossings, of vi'bioii following is a speeiioation.

..bis invention relates to improvements in railroad-erossings, asset iortb in the following speeitieation and elaims and iiliistrated in the g in 'iviiiebm ..1 e lis vien' of a railroaderossing, t seeiion in t' 3 is a seotion in the pg. l. similari eters indieate eorresponding parts. llhe letters le. B indicate rails of a railway rainning in one direetion, and C D `indieate rails of a railway running in another direetion. Rail seotions G H are shown as abutting against the rails D, so that the wheels of a ear or loeoinotive eau pass nnincerrnptedly in the direction of arrow lfalong tbe rails i3 and rail-sections G H. The rails Careintended to be similarly connected as the rails D; but the raileeetions between the rails @have been renioved to expose certain parts to View.

The rail-sections E F, between the rails B in tine example shown in the drawings, are at sonne distance from the rails B, or do not abut against the rails B, and'said rail-sections E F in suon example in the drawings do not obstruct along the rails C D. The raitseetions between the rails A have been removed to expose eertain parts to view.

The rail-sections H and E l, with their bases U 'if and "tlf El, are capable of longitndi nal motion on a suitable base or support, J. Guides or ways l, for the bases U V audTvV X of the railvseetions G H and E F, prevent said rail-seetions from becoming displaced, `while leaving said rail-seetions free to move pins Q., passing tb rough suitable slots in the rail-seetions, hold said. rail-sections together, while leaving said rail-sections free 'to v:nove longitudinally independently of one another.

l.Viren a ear or locomotive moves toward the ,erossing along the tracks A B in the direction oi arrow 2 the wheels ol' said ear or locomotive strike against arms or projectionslz., eonneeted to therailseetions G H, so

that said railseetions G H are moved away from tbe rails D. The motion of the rail-seetions G H imparts motion to bellers-nk levers are moved away from the rails D,'as just stated, one'of the bell-Crank levers L M imparts motion to the rail'seetion F, and causes said rail-section F to niove toward one of the rails B, while at the saine time the other railseetion, E, is moved toward the other railB, as will benowezplainerl.

The rail-sections E F are connected bysuitable' deviees-suob as pivots T-to an arm or plate, S, swinging about a pivot, R. The motion of the rail-section F toward one of the rails B imparts motion to the rail-section E toward the other rail B. Said railseetions E F can thus be nioverlto abut against the rails B, so that an unbroken passage willbe formed along the rails Band rail-sections E F.

The connection betweenA the rail-sections G H and E F is such that when the rail-sections G H close the passage along the rails D the rail-sections E F rest out ofthe path ofwheels moving along the rails CD, and when the railseetions E F elose the passage along the rails B the rail-sections G H rest out of the path of wheels moving along the rails A B. Suitable bell-crank levers, L M and O P, impart motion to the rail-sectious between the rails A and between the rails C. The various railseetions are so arranged that the rail-sections E F move in eommouwith the rail-seetions between the rails C to connect or break' the passage along the rails C D, and that the railseetions G H move in common with the railseetions between the rails A to break or conneet the passage along the rails A B. The bellcrank levers L M and 0 P swing about suitable fuleru ms, N, and said bell-cranks are con` neeted to the rail-sections by suitable means, suoli. as pivots or pins e. I

To move the rail'seetions G H orE F, I can also employ toes Z, which are adapted to rise above and to move to the level 0f the rails A B C D. Said toes Z are connected to levers orA belleranks a Z, moving about suitable pivots, c, in suitable arms, d, Figs. 2 and 3. 'The bell cranks a Zi are meanssuch as pinsf-to the railfseetons G connected by suitable Y H or E F. As seen in Fig. 2, the motion of the toes Z toward the rails D will move the rail-sections G H, so as to form a continuous passage along the rails D. Similar toes, Z, on the rails B, when pressed toward said rails B, will move the rail-sections E F to form a continuous passage along the rails B.

To prevent snow, dirt, or obstructions from lodging in the paths of movement of the ends of the rail-sections, I use guards Y to cover or shield said paths. Said guards Y, as seen in the drawings, can be formed of two plates or shields ot' elastic material, such as spring metal'. By making the stem oi' a rail-section (as, for example, the stem F of the rail-section F, Fig. 3) with a tapering edge, said stem Vwill force said spring-shields of the guard Y apart when said railsection F moves toward said guard Y. XVhen said rail-section has moved away from said guard Y, the springshields of said guard approach closely enough to one another to keep oi dirt, snow, and obstructions.

The rail-sections between the main rails A B C D in the example shown in the drawings are adapted to be operated automatically. If desired, a lever, or Vany suitable device to be operated by hand or by foot, or otherwise, can be applied in any well-known way to operate the rail-sections; but I prefer an automatic operation of said rail-sections.

In'the'dra'vvingsY my'invention is shown as being applied to railways consisting of lines of rails placed in pairs, such as the rails A. B or the rails C D; but said invention can be applied to railways consisting of only one line of rails each, asis the case with some kinds of railways-for example, elevated railways,

where the cars are suspended from or run along a single line of rails. TWhen the railsections are connected by levers or arms S, as shown in the drawings, it is only necessary to have a tappet or arm, K, on one rail-section,

as the movement of one rail-section (asfi'orY example, the railfsection 1I) will operate the other rail-section; but I prefer to have a tappet or arm, K, applied to each rail-section.

By placing the working parts of the railroad-crossing on a smooth support-such, for example, as a suitable base-plate, Jsaid working parts will be enabled to operate easily.

By having the rail-sections automatically operated by a wheel or wheels of a car or locomotive the presence of an attendant to operate the rail-sections is not required.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- V 1. The combination, with the main-line rails, such as D, of two rail-sections,such as G H, arranged against cach other in the main-line rails and" slidable longitudinally one against the other in opposite directions, so that the end of one section is moved toward one lrail of the 'main rail-line and the opposite end of the other section is simultaneously moved toward tinllyuus described.

2.v The combination, with a main rail-line,

such as D, of two rail-sections, s'uch asG H, 4

tions one against the other, substantially as described. 3. The combinatiomwith the main-line rails, such as B D, running in different directions, of pairs of railsections, each pair arranged side by side and inserted in the 'main lines, and each pair of sections slidable longitndiljally'in opposite directions one against the other, and connections between the several rail-sections, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with mainline rails, as B D, running in dilerent directionavof pairs of rail-sections inserted in the main lines, 4and each pair arranged side by side and slidablelongitudinally in opposite directions one against the other, and the bell-crank lever L M, having one arm attached uto one section of om pair and the other arm attached to' one section of another pair, substantially as described. 5. The combination, with a main rail-line, such as D, of two rail-sections, such as G E, inserted into-said main line, said two rail-'sections being movable with respect to one another, and `said two rail-sections being con nected by a lever or arm, S, substantially as set forth.

c, The combinanoagvnh a'main mii-nte,

such as D, of two rail-sections, such 'as G H, inserted into said main line, said two rail-sections being movable with' respect toone another and being connected bya lever or arm,

loo

S, and one of said rail-sections being'provided with a tappet or arm, K, substantially asset forth.

7. The combination, with a minima-line such as D, and two rail-sections, suchas G- inserted into said main line, said two rail-sem tions being movablewith respect to one another and being connected by a lever or arm,

rre

S, of a tee, Z, and a connection o r arm, a

communicating with one of said rail-sections substantially as set forth.

8. 'lhe combination, with a main rail-line, such as D, and two rail-sections, such as G H,

inserted into said main rail-line, said two rail sections being movable with respect to one another, of a tappet or arm, K, applied to rail-section', substantially as set forth.' Y

9. The combination, with a main 'rail-line,

such as D, arid two rail-sections, such as G H,

other, of a bolt or pin, Q5, passing through aslot or slots'ir connecting said rail-sections,

substantially asset forth.

'11. The combination, with a main rail-line.

. inserted iuto said main rail-line, said two raill suoli as l), andi-,Wo Tail-sections, ysuch-ass G H, inserted into said main line, said two rail-seotions being movable with iospoos to one another, of guides oi: Ways I for said railseo tions, substantially as seb forth.

l2. The combination, with themain -line mils, such as D, of two rail-sections, such asG H, arranged side loy side in the main-line rails and slideblo longitudinally in opposite direcbions one against the otinei, kand an actuating device to engage a Wheel or wheels pasoing along said mainline rails and rail-sections for sliding the latter longitudinally one upon the other, as eet; forth.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set r 5 my hand and Beal in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOSEPH W. STORES. [14.5.7]

Wit-neses: e

LAURENCE W. MINER, CEAS. W. BARNS. 

